Universal Gravitation - calculating orbital period of satellite

In summary, the conversation discusses Kepler's third law and its relevance to determining the orbital period of an artificial satellite around Earth. The relevant equations include a = V^2/r and T = (2*Pi*R)/V. A mistake was made in copying the formula from the textbook, where "a" should have been replaced by "R". Despite this error, the final answer was almost the same for both methods.
  • #1
EEristavi
108
5
Homework Statement
An artificial satellite circles the Earth in a circular orbit
at a location where the acceleration due to gravity is
9.00 m/s2. Determine the orbital period of the satellite.
Relevant Equations
a = V^2/r
T = 2 Pi R / V

F = G M m / R^2

T^2 = 4 Pi^2 a^3 / (G M) - Kepler's third law
I didn't use Kepler's 3rd law and this may be the reason I have a wrong answer.
However, I want to know: where I make the mistake.

## ma = \frac {G M m} {R^2}##
## R = (\frac {G M} a)^{1/2}##

##a = \frac {v^2} R##
##V^2 = a R = a (\frac {G M} a)^{1/2} = (G a M)^{1/2}##
##V = (G a M)^{1/4}##

##T = \frac {2 \Pi R} V##
##T = \frac {2 \Pi (G M)^{1/2}} {(G M a)^{1/4} a^{1/2}} = \frac {2 \Pi(G M)^{1/4}} {a^{3/4}}##
 
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  • #2
EEristavi said:
a = V^2/r
T = 2 Pi R / V

F = G M m / R^2

T^2 = 4 Pi^2 a^3 / (G M) - Kepler's third law
Actually the Kepler third law formula (if you meant "a" to be acceleration) is wrong. "a" should be R (radius).
 
  • #3
ali PMPAINT said:
Actually the Kepler third law formula (if you meant "a" to be acceleration) is wrong. "a" should be R (radius).

I copied formula from textbook, it had meaning of radius - forgot to change to R it.
sorry
 
  • #4
EEristavi said:
Problem Statement: An artificial satellite circles the Earth in a circular orbit
at a location where the acceleration due to gravity is
9.00 m/s2. Determine the orbital period of the satellite.
Relevant Equations: a = V^2/r##T = \frac {2 \Pi R} V##
##T = \frac {2 \Pi (G M)^{1/2}} {(G M a)^{1/4} a^{1/2}} = \frac {2 \Pi(G M)^{1/4}} {a^{3/4}}##
Well, I got the almost the same answer (almost 5400) for both methods. What you got?
 

FAQ: Universal Gravitation - calculating orbital period of satellite

What is the formula for calculating the orbital period of a satellite?

The formula for calculating the orbital period of a satellite is T = 2π√(a^3/GM), where T is the orbital period, π is pi (approximately 3.14159), a is the semi-major axis of the orbit, G is the gravitational constant (approximately 6.67 x 10^-11 m^3/kg/s^2), and M is the mass of the central body (usually a planet or star).

How is the orbital period affected by the mass of the central body?

The orbital period is directly proportional to the mass of the central body. This means that as the mass of the central body increases, the orbital period also increases. This can be seen in the formula for orbital period, where the mass of the central body is in the denominator.

Can the orbital period be calculated for any distance from the central body?

Yes, the orbital period can be calculated for any distance from the central body as long as the semi-major axis is known. However, for objects with very small or very large distances, the formula may not accurately predict the orbital period due to other factors such as atmospheric drag or the influence of other celestial bodies.

How does the orbital period change when the semi-major axis is increased?

As the semi-major axis increases, the orbital period also increases. This is because the semi-major axis is a measure of the distance between the satellite and the central body, and a larger distance means a longer orbital period. This relationship is also evident in the formula for orbital period, where the semi-major axis is in the square root.

Can the orbital period be used to determine the speed of a satellite?

Yes, the orbital period can be used to determine the speed of a satellite. The speed of a satellite can be calculated using the formula v = 2πa/T, where v is the speed, a is the semi-major axis, and T is the orbital period. This shows that as the orbital period increases, the speed decreases, and vice versa.

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